Kanso
by Mr. ducky the original
Summary: Anyone else notice that there were dozens of ninja students in the academy at the beginning of Naruto? Surely others than Naruto and co. graduated out of a village, so I took some background liberties. The story focuses on Kanso, a boy who moved to the village to learn ninja arts and hide from a war raging in his own country. Read of his interactions with actual Naruto characters!
1. Chapter 1

This was it, he finally had made it to the village. He looked up at the enormous entrance doors, the impossibly high walls preventing him from seeing his new home until he was already inside. It sucked that they weren't open. He raised a hand to his mouth, the other adjusting the heavy travel pack on his back as he yelled, but not too loudly,

"Hey! Is anyone there!?"

No answer. He sighed and set his bag down on the side of the vast dirt road. Sitting next to it, he opened the top flap, digging through it for the last of his food, surprised that he had made the journey with plenty to spare. He grabbed a half squished loaf of bread, some fruit that was just starting to age, and his last cranberry juice box. He favored the juice first to the dry meal, against his better judgment, not noticing the figure sneaking up behind him until they yelled quite suddenly.

The voice wasn't menacing, but still very loud. The sudden disturbance caused the young boy to jump backward from his sitting position into a rough handstand, his feet went over his head, aligned perfectly for a double kick, though it wouldn't cause too much force trauma from lack of strength. He looked below his fast traveling feet to get just a glimpse of what the other, older sounding man was wearing, it was a lot of green, the boy's feet were arcing directly for the point that would easily drop most male opponents, so maybe his lack of strength wouldn't be an issue with his accuracy.

These were all of the thoughts that went through his head as he prepared to finish the strike, until his mind finally started to process what the man had been yelling.

"Hey kid! What are you doing outside the vill- Gah!"

He connected perfectly, landed in a crouch facing away from the man, ready to run as he heard the other hit the ground. He immediately took off, running shoes digging into the soft earth to propel him forward at immense speed for a twelve year old. He ran just two steps before hearing a loud pop-whistling noise and took a quick glance back, white smoke and a log being the only thing near his backpack that was left behind. He didn't question it, this was the land of ninja after all. He turned to look forward to where he was running, ramming right into the same green that he had took note of just a moment before, though the guy in the body suit was a LOT more solid this time.

The boy bounced right off the ninja and hit the ground, nose bleeding before he could register the pain. He covered his now red face, trying unsuccessfully to stop the blood flow. He looked up to the tall man standing in front of him, barely making out a disapproving look through his tearing eyes. The man spoke again,

"Are you some kind of trouble maker or somethin'. I haven't seen you around before, but we don't need any more scoundrels kid ninja running around here. Where are your parents?"

The younger tried to say something, but it couldn't be made out through the mixture of blood and hands, so the adult just lifted him by the arm, standing him up.

"Alright, lets get you cleaned up first. By the way, the name's Guy. Might Guy, but you can just call me Guy or Guy sensei, though I still don't recall seeing you in town or at the academy, so maybe just Guy."

The kid muttered something to the rambling adult, though he didn't seem to hear. Instead, the elder just made a real corny joke, laughing at it like it was the best thing ever, not noticing the boy had walked off with an unamused face. The boy moved back to his pack, still left on the side of the road. He pulled a handkerchief from one of the pockets to wipe up the blood, his nose had already stopped running by the time Guy had noticed he was left standing on the other side of the road. The adult walked back over to the boy, a miniscule amount calmer than before.

"So, I told you my name, I'm sure you haven't forgotten it, but I don't yet know yours."

It was a statement, but the boy answered the coming question anyway.

"I'm-. I'm Kanso Amsel. I'm not from around here."

Guy gave a slight nod as he thought. Kanso was an odd name, but at least sounded like it was from the local area, Amsel was another matter though.

"Where ARE you from then?"

The boy looked like he was about to answer, but quickly changed his mind, mirroring the same question.

"Where are you from?"

Guy smirked,

"Why, I'm the strongest ninja ever to live in the Hidden Leaf Village!"

The tacky dressed adult struck a pose, pointing to himself with his thumb, his teeth were so white they nearly flashed the sunlight back at Kanso, who shaded his eyes anyway. The boy said in a calm, cool tone,

"I highly doubt that, but I believe you when you say you're from the Village Hidden in the Leaves. This is it, right?"

He motioned to the enormous gate that still struck awe inside the boy, he only let his interest show in an expression of determination.

"Anyway, Mr. Guy, I come from all the way past this land's borders, across the sea, from the center of an entirely different continent."

He looked back at the adult who was surprisingly unsurprised. Kanso raised an eyebrow, usually the locals couldn't believe a kid had traveled so far. Guy's face hardened again, he asked a question in all seriousness,

"You aren't a spy are you?"

Kanso blinked as his thoughts flooded through shock, confusion, anger, amusement, then back to shock. He asked with honest curiosity,

"Why would you think I was a spy? I'm like... twelve."

Guy threw his head back and laughed loudly, Kanso jumped back, alarmed again. The adult looked back at him with true amusement,

"Of course you're no spy! I could tell right away."

Kanso's eyes slitted,

"Then why did you ask me?"

Guy choked, knowing he had been caught in a lie by a kid, though he still tried to play it off.

"I, uh, you can never be too sure!"

Guy muttered something to himself that sounded to Kanso like 'no, you fool, say something cooler!' Kanso sighed and turned away. Guy took notice this time, looking over the boy's shoulder as he dug through his bag. Kanso pulled out a cloth roll and started to take his shirt off. Guy, suddenly alarmed, looked around quickly to see if anyone was nearby, hissing at the boy,

"What are you trying to do, make me look like a perve?! stop!"

But Kanso's shirt was off, Guy sighing when he realized the boy's black sleeves were actually a long sleeved shirt under a short sleeved one. Kanso held the blue shirt he had been wearing in front of him to look at the damage. The collar had stained a purple-brown and would likely get worse as the blood dried. He stuffed the soiled garment into the bag and unrolled the cloth he had just pulled out. It was another short sleeve shirt, this one was dark red.

"I wish I was wearing this one instead, then my favorite shirt wouldn't be ruined."

Kanso glared back at Guy, anger finally rising in him, though his face only showed slight annoyance, his eyes held his real emotion. Guy flinched slightly at the sea of venom that shined, or rather, shaded from the boy's eyes. Guy tried to divert the conversation to something else,

"So, uh, your trying to get into the village, huh? I can tell the gate keepers to open it early for ya, hehe."

Kanso took a deep breath, shuddering slightly as his lungs filled completely, he held it for a moment, then let it all out in a quiet sigh. He turned away from Guy again, focusing once more on finding something specific in his bag. He talked over his shoulder in a cool, but not too cold, tone.

"I don't need your help, and I don't want to bother anyone else. If the gate is going to open anyway, I'll just wait. It's my fault for being early anyway."

He grabbed a book and simple pencil from the bag, sitting down to face the gate entrance. The pencil touched paper and was off, making lazy, slow strokes in the book. Guy looked closer at Kanso, thinking he wasn't writing so he must be...

"What are you drawing?"

Kanso didn't look up at Guy, but occasionally studied the gate with quick, but intense stares.

"The entrance to the village, what else?"

"Well... there are lots of things you could be drawing. Trees, birds, flowers, the most awesome ninja around-"

Guy took the same pose as before, pointing back at himself like he was, in fact, the $hit. Kanso shook his head slightly.

"Don't you have a job to do? If your a ninja, which you undoubtably are with that smoke and log trick from earlier, shouldn't you be doing certain things?"

Guy blinked at the boy before answering.

"Well actually I was training, I'm in between missions right now, fifty laps around the town is my warm up!"

 _Snap_

Kanso looked down at his hand, holding the two halves of his pencil lightly. He coughed and asked Guy to confirm what he just heard,

"Fif-Fifty?"

Guy was a little surprised at the kid's reaction to his routine training exercise.

"Er. Yes?"

Kanso neatly placed the two halves of the pencil in his bag, Guy got a quick glance at the drawing before it too was put away, everything seemed well proportional for just an outline, and the top corner of the wall had just started to have detail added in, it was spot on. Kanso then faced back to Guy, his face stayed lowered and his voice was monotonous if a little sarcastic.

"Is that standard training?"

Guy chuckled,

"No, just a personal choice. There are a lot of ways to train, but this is probably one of the most effective methods."

"Running until you're dead?"

"Just 'till I need a break, pushing the body to it's limits is how you make those limits less... limiting."

Kanso looked up with a blank face, eyes again being the only way to tell his emotions as they glared into the adult's face, the elder could practically feel the flames of the boy's determination, which in turn, lit a fire inside himself. It made him feel excited, but nervous.

"How long until the gates open?"

"A-about an hour or so."

"Fine."


	2. Chapter 2

Guy gulped slightly, never before had a child been so inspiring, and confusing, than the one before him now,

"Your certainly are determined to get in, though I don't get why you don't want me to have the gates opened."

Kanso cleared his throat, the energy leaving his body immediately as he settled back into a cooler demeanor.

"My goal is to become a ninja, there aren't any in my home country, but my mom was a foreigner, she said she was native to this area. That's why I'm here. As for your query, I just don't want to be treated any differently from anyone else."

He let out another sigh, like he was getting tired just talking.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't trouble you anymore. Again, thanks for your help with telling me when the village opens, though it would have been better had you not ruined my shirt first. Goodbye."

Guy realized he had just been dismissed, by a child no less. He nervously muttered a quick farewell and took his leave, disappearing as quickly so he could get back to training. He decided that an eye needed to be kept on the boy, though he was a little too busy to do it himself. Then he was gone.

Kanso finished whatever food he still had and felt like eating, repacked everything, and unpacked his remaining drawing supplies. He finished most of the gate sketch over the next hour and a half when they swung open. It was quiet at first, but a huge creaking sound seemed to echo for miles when the two giant doors opened ever so slowly. Kanso stood, ready to enter the village, he had someone important to meet with, two people actually, before he could do any sight seeing, but the very first thing he noticed about the village was that despite it being built like a fortress, the actual town was pretty simple, but huge. The road went on so far, he couldn't see the other end of the village, it just looked like the buildings melted into each other several miles down. It was so much to take in that he nearly dropped his bag. He started walking shakily forward after a few moments.

Kanso wondered to himself how he was going to find anything in a place like this, as far as he could tell the streets weren't even marked. He started getting nervous but saw something out of the corner of his eye while he walked. He turned and nearly cheered, on the inside of course. It looked like an information booth, it was probably set up for new visitors, which he was. He walked up to the counter, a chalk board and map on the back wall were the only things in the open shack, two men slouched on their stools behind the front desk. One had a bandage laying across his nose, like it was broken, and looked half asleep, Kanso just glared at him through a squint before turning to the other one, who was actually doing some work. This one kept one eye covered with his hair. Kanso cleared his throat, causing the man to look up from the report he was reading with surprise.

"Oh!"

He looked over and noticed his partner had slipped away. He rolled up the report and began beating on the other man's shoulder.

"Wake up! you have a job your supposed to be doing!"

The guy getting beat out of his daydreams reeled back, falling off his chair and onto the ground. The man holding the report like a lethal weapon looked like he was ready to grind teeth. He looked back to Kanso, suddenly showing a helpful smile as his workmate started to get up off the ground.

"Sorry about that, do you need something, kid?"

Kanso hardly missed a beat, though he was still ofput by the rolled up report. He kept out of arms reach and asked,

"Yes, I was wondering if you could help me find..."

He pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and proceeded to slowly read the complex name, so he didn't get directed to the wrong place.

"The Kono.. Ha.. Te... Oh forget- I'm looking for a hotel or apartments, how many places like that are in town?"

The man with one eye covered blinked in surprise. He thought to himself, 'Oh my god. This kid can't read.' He tried to talk without sounding too concerned or judgemental.

"Well, there are several small apartments spread around town, but we only have one full size hotel, so if it's the place you're looking for, it shouldn't be too hard to find."

Kanso grumbled to himself and held out the piece of paper to the guardsman. He read over it, but couldn't recognize the property name. He looked up to the kid in front of him, readying himself to deliver the bad news and expecting waterworks or outrage.

"I've never heard of this place in my life."

He braced for the reaction, but Kanso just reached to take the piece of paper back. Suddenly the other man behind the counter grabbed it from them both.

"Wait!"

They both looked at him, the adult like he was deranged, Kanso like he was wasting time. The one who just lost the paper growled under his breath to the other one,

'Kotetsu, what are you doing!"

"I know where this place is! Don't worry kid, I can show you-

"No."

Kanso still hadn't gotten a word in, but he didn't want to interrupt the two adults as they crossed words.

"Don't worry about it, Izumo. It'll only take about forty-five minutes to-"

"No. Even if you do know where this place is, you'll just take the kid there, leave, then run off so you don't have to do any work."

"Well then, why don't you take him, I'll show you where it is on the map so the kid doesn't get lost looking-"

"Still no, we have work to do and no matter how you cut it, I'm not going to leave you alone. You'll just end up at Standby stuffing your face with-"

Kanso raised his hand to get both of their attention.

"Why don't you both just show me where it is, we'll waste less time that way."

Kanso didn't want to admit it, but he probably would get lost if he were sent on his own. Izumo, the more work inclined of the two adults, also considered Kanso's poor reading ability, He sighed. His face grew hard and unreadable.

"Alright fine. Kotetsu will escort you, and I'll escort the BOTH of you, then-"

He swung the rolled up report still in his hand quickly to point just an inch from the lazy guard's covered nose, Kotetsu flinched and held his arms up in surrender.

"-You're gonna help me finish reading these reports so we can both go home early, for once."


	3. Chapter 3

They started their walk at a leisurely pace, since it was still pretty early in the morning. Kotetsu and Izumo stayed on either side of Kanso, which the boy noticed and figured it was an escort strategy that the two men just naturally fell into. They passed a couple of stores that were opening up, Kanso was enjoying himself seeing what was being sold by the open-front stalls and shops. Kotetsu, the man with the bandage on his face, suddenly looked down at Kanso and asked,

"So, what's a kid like you looking for a rent house for?"

Kanso almost threw a sarcastic comment back, but he caught himself. These guys were helping him after all, and the personality of the more serious one made Kanso that backtalk would end in rash action. He told them what he told the weirdo ninja outside the village.

"I've left country to learn the ways of the shinobi. I've heard amazing stories about what they're capable of, and so far I've found no reason to believe that they were just tales."

Izumo wasn't too interested in the conversation and just stayed close to make sure Kotetsu didn't run off. Kotetsu, however, started to get really interested in the kid's story.

"How far did you travel? Their are ninja all over the continent, so I doubt you're from anywhere near here."

Kanso looked up into Kotetsu's face, trying to get a read on what he was thinking but figured it was an innocent enough question.

"It took me about three weeks by boat and another four days by foot to get to this city. My father had set up arrangements with one of your local... lords... to give me a place to stay and have me trained as a ninja."

"Huh? Who is your father and who did he make arrangements with?"

Kanso started looking around some more as they walked to take in more of the strange, but amazing, town.

"Well, you've probably never heard of my dad, he keeps to his own business most of the time. When I said that I wanted to come here, he sent letters to several important people all over the place to see where I could be accepted. It took forever, but after I got an approval from several locations, I chose this town specifically. I was corresponding with a Mr. Sarutobi-"

Both Izumo and Kotetsu shouted at the same time,

"The Hokage?!"

Kanso jumped at their sudden outburst, but the few people walking around at such an early time barely passed them a glance. He cleared his throat and continued, wondering just how important this... "Hokage" was.

"Yes, in his first letter he introduced himself under that title. Anyway, I was told my rent would be paid for me and that I was generally allowed to do anything I wanted, whenever I wanted. My ninja classes are even optional, though I was warned that progress would only be made if I dedicated my life to the shinobi way... Your lord likes to talk in a very complicated manner. Either that, or my translator at the time was overly formal with with lingual contractions and such."

A glance passed between the two older men, Kanso didn't even notice that they had fallen a half-step behind so they could communicate in such a way. Izumo noticed how Kotetsu seemed uneasy about the presence of Kanso in the village, but Kotetsu calmed down after reading in on Izumo's calmer demeanor, who believed that this was a foreign politics move made by the Hokage. Kotetsu moved back up to walk beside Kanso.

"We're getting close, just around this corner."

Kanso glanced back the way he had come. He was surprised to find that he had actually walked several blocks with the two men, but the village wall still looked huge at such a distance. He looked to the center of the town, he could make out an end to the road. A large hill or mountain seemed to dead end the street, but he was still too far away to make out any details. He turned down the side street and shops quickly faded into houses. Kotetsu stopped and pointed to a more modern construct. It looked simply like a large, white, rectangular block with a smaller cubed block sitting on top, clearly marking it as foreign design. Windows, a door, and fake as fuck potted plants were the only markings on the flat face of the building. Kanso gawked at it while Kotetsu went on,

"I remembered seeing it in construction late last year. The guys working on it had exact blueprints that they could barely make heads or tails of! I even got a look at them myself! For being so simple on the outside, the place is beyond the word 'intricate' on the inside."

Izumo stared at it like it was a stranger with two black eyes. He muttered to himself.

"Hard to believe I missed that on my way to work this morning."

Kanso face palmed and grumbled in a weak, annoyed voice.

"Why would he do this to me. Why."

Kotetsu looked down at the brooding boy, wondering why he was going to live in such a standout place like that, understanding at least why Kanso was upset about it.

"It's not that bad. At least if you get lost you could ask anyone around how to get home, right Izumo?"

The guy just laughed nervously while his partner shook his head at him, a grim look crossing his face but not comparing to the despair in Kanso's. The boy suddenly burst out angrily,

"What the HELL was he thinking! I'm supposed to blend in, make friends, go to school, and be 'normal'! Oh My GOD!"

Kotetsu backed away, still laughing like a nervous idiot. If anger could literally make steam rise from a person's head, Kanso's eyes would have exploded in blood mist, his veins having evaporated with rage that the ONE concept he thought he had made clear to his father had not changed a thing. He was UNDERCOVER. IN HIDING. Yet he knew the man was going to pull a stunt like this with his "take a little piece of home with you" talk. Izumo put a calming hand on Kanso's shaking shoulder.

"You need to calm down, kid. People are looking at us funny."

There was no one on that particular street so early in the morning, but Kanso understood the sentiment. He marched right up to the house and knocked one of the obviously plastic plants over. A key lay on the ground where the pot had been set. He snatched it up and unlocked the door. He threw the door open with unnecessary force, marched in heavily, and dropped his muddy bag right in the entryway. The two adults watched in uncomfortable silence as this happened until the boy suddenly stopped mid-stomp. He turned around slowly until his flaming green eyes burned into theirs. They both looked away from him in a mixture of awkward fear. Quietly, one word was spoken by Kanso in an embarrassed, broken voice.

"Thanks."

Kotetsu, in either a rush of bravery, foolishness, or sudden sorrow for the obviously humiliated kid, looked back at the boy as the door closed. 'Was he about to cry?' the man wondered after the door suddenly closed.


	4. Chapter 4

Kanso turned after closing the door. The small entrance hall continued for just a few feet before opening up into a larger room, a couch and end table in view from where he stood marked it the living room. He walked in. Along the white walls hung a few pictures. Some flowers, a mountain landscape, and a picture of Kanso's family. He walked over to the last picture, brushing his fingers gently over the glass framed image of his mother before lifting the whole picture off the wall, placing it on the table. A small panel with a few buttons was hidden behind it's hanging place.

"Predictable."

Kanso basically spat the word out as his momentarily subsided anger returned, he punched in a short code on the buttons. A quick beep sounded and the entire house seemed to shudder slightly. Now Kanso was free to do whatever he wanted, the house had instantly soundproofed itself on lockdown. Kanso thought he wanted to yell, scream, curse, whatever he could that would otherwise disturb the peace around him. He thought it would make him feel better if it were an option but he just stood there silently. He looked down at the table, seeing the back of the picture frame he had set down, a remote control, and an empty, ceramic vase. He snatched it up and threw it as hard as he could against the opposite wall, barely missing the television stand on it's flight. It connected, bounced off the wall, and slid nearly all the way back to Kanso across the hardwood floor. 'Of course.' Kanso thought sarcastically to himself.

Sighing, the boy picked up the undamaged vase, returning it and the picture frame to their original places. He wiped his eyes and looked around, seeing that one of the doorways transitioned to a tiled hardwood and followed it. The kitchen seemed more furnished than the rest of the house was expected to be by Kanso. A sink built into a marble bar with drawers, a double door fridge, a stove, a few cabinets, and a table set big enough to seat four. He pulled a glass from a cabinet and filled it with water. Then he checked the drawers for some aspirin, dropping two and one other pill in the cold water and watching them dissolve. He was done being angry, but now he was just frustrated and had a huge, throbbing headache.

After downing and washing the glass, Kanso returned to the living room. He saw a few dust prints on the floor where he had walked, knowing exactly how hard it was going to be to keep the hardwood clean when most roads in and out of the town were made of dirt or packed gravel. He decided not to bother with it yet and instead focused on his muddy backpack. 'Now THAT was a mess, good job dad' he thought as he picked it up. He started to look for the bedroom for him to dump out all of the stuff that was inside his pack when a light noise tone echoed through the house.

He turned back at the door, wondering who it could be. He wouldn't imagine anyone walking up to this house, except maybe to visit him specifically, and didn't think that word of his arrival had yet reached the city governor or 'Hokage' as these people referred to him. He left his bag in a small hall by a closet door, so it wouldn't be in the way if Kanso did have company, and returned to the living room. A dull knock came through the door as he unlocked his house with the control panel, he quickly moved back to the door and opened it.

"Yes?"

A young man stood in the doorway, wearing the same general outfit as other ninja from the Leaf Village. He held out a letter.

"I'm sorry I must make this brief, but the Hokage has sent a letter of welcome to this address upon hearing of your arrival."

Kanso had barely grasped the paper before the ninja suddenly disappeared. Kanso flinched in shock and looked around for the late teenager, but he was gone. 'Everything seems to happen so fast around here' Kanso thought. He gulped and opened the letter after closing the door. A thick stack of money came out, which Kanso stuffed in a pocket before reading the accompanying letter. Again, the Hokage addressed himself as just Mr. Hiruzen. Kanso was also beyond relieved that the note was written in his native writing.

 _"Kanso._

 _It is nice to hear that you've made it to the village quickly and safely. I heard about your run-in with one of my shinobi and regret any damages done. I hope you will enjoy your stay and I wish you contact me if any concerns should appear. I've decided to send you a personal trainer by tomorrow morning, to give you a chance to rest after traveling so far. If you find him in any way unsatisfactory, I would like you to voice your opinions, there are other shinobi available that would enjoy the chance to teach you. In hopes that this may further our and our countries relationships, you won't be held to the duties of other shinobi that may risk your life. As a side note, I would suggest you as your assigned or later chosen trainer about meeting other aspiring ninja. There are several your age and I think it best that you spend time training or doing the 'hanging out' with them, they're sure to be friendly."_

The mostly informal letter ended there. Kanso was impressed at how mostly well translated it had been, but he was still upset. He didn't want to be babied and he didn't come to make friends. He decided he was going to seek out these other kids, learn exactly what level of ninja they were and attempt to match their strength. If he could do that, then it wouldn't really matter if he went on missions or not. He would just be less experienced and still have all of the skills.

"Alright."

He said to himself, that was one meeting down and it was barely passed morning. He just needed to talk to one other person.


	5. Chapter 5

Kanso took his bag back to the bedroom. He found the laundry room and just set the over sized pack in the washer on a light load to get the mud off before it dried too badly. He spent the next few hours discovering the features of his house, the number of bedrooms (2), bathrooms (1), a small attic, the laundry room and kitchen, and two halls - the entry hall and a hall going down the rectangular house to connect all of the rooms. It was a simpler setup than Kanso was expecting. Eventually he came across the thermostat and set it down to 15 degrees (celsius), there were other numbers displayed as well. Kanso figured that these were other systems of measurement and that the thermostat was a standard export model.

As he waited for the house to cool down, Kanso began cleaning up the mess he had made in his room. A simple, plywood dresser was half full of different colors of clothes that were all tailored his size. He folded his unused travel apparel and placed them in appropriate drawers. The closet held different style jackets, many different color shoes with the exact same running design as the ones he wore, and some business suits -which he questioned- also arranged in colors. A high shelf caught his eye which held a few extra blankets. He closed the closet. A small work desk sat in a corner with a dustbin and another flat screen television hung on the wall directly in front of the bed. The room still looked pretty bare with excess floor and wall space. Kanso decided he would buy himself some posters, probably a bookshelf, and anything else cool he found at the local shopping district.

He looked back to his bed, the leftover garbage and accessories still needed to be sorted through. He made quick work of the trash, tossing it all in the dustbin. He left the travel pamphlets and his translation book on his dresser. His many art supplies were then spread across the work desk. This left whatever technology Kanso was given for his journey. An advanced satellite communication device - a headset shaped device that would allow him to communicate directly with home, but only for extreme emergencies. He folded it up and hid it in his dresser. A satellite locator and map - a small tablet shaped device that would allow him to see a space view of anywhere over the continent, which he immediately saved it's current coordinates in so he'd be able to find his way home and slipped it in his pocket. The only things left were a few simple gadgets for ninja work and an old favorite of his; a small, portable game system. It was a little dated, Kanso had kept it for a few years and they were likely being sold for entertainment to rich countries around the world by now. He assumed it would be safe enough to leave these things out. Even if the game was stolen, it wouldn't provide any super compromising technological secrets to any other countries, which was another worry he had to fret over during his every waking moment.

The clock began to creep towards noon and Kanso knew he needed to find something to eat for lunch. He took some of the Hokage's cash out of his pocket. It was an unnecessarily large amount and Kanso decided he would leave most of it at home. He left, not wasting any time since he already had done so gawking at his new home (which wasn't all that impressive anyway). He locked his house and began walking around, moving back to the main road since that was where he had seen the collective of shops. He stumbled around a little before finding a strip of open front stalls that banded together as a fresh daily farmers market. Kanso hadn't really devised a shopping list, so he just picked out whatever he thought would last him through the week. He shopped around until his arms were full of paper bags of groceries. He was proud of himself for not buying any junk food, but to be fair he couldn't tell what was IN the junk food, so he kept to fruits, veggies, and a few cuts of meat and fish. He also made sure to grab some perishables, like bread, eggs, butter, etc.

He tried to get home as quickly as possible, arms struggling under the weight of the bags he held tightly to his chest, fearing he'd trip over an unseen obstacle of some sorts and losing everything or turning down the wrong side street and making the journey even longer. 'Maybe I should have taken two trips' Kanso thought to himself. He barely made it home, making a small spectacle of himself trying to get the front door open without dropping any of the bags, and shutting himself back inside. He stumbled into the kitchen, sweating and huffing under the strain of weight before dumping the bags onto the counter, probably a little harder than necessary. He pulled out a chair from the dinner table, slumping in it to rest. He gave himself a moment of sarcasm.

"Yeah... I'm gonna be a ninja."

He sighed and focused on catching his breath. He eventually got up and started in on making his lunch. It was a simple ham sandwich, nothing fancy. Bread, ham, lettuce, tomato, more ham, mayo, and bread again. Like he always made them. He finished it quickly and made sure all of the groceries were stored away in the proper places. Having nothing else left to do, he switched his backpack from the washer to the dryer, then found himself meandering back into his room.

Several days of walking along country roads and finally getting settled into his new home had exhausted Kanso. He checked his locator, the time it displayed was approaching three. Grabbing a set of lounge clothes, Kanso set off for a shower, then spent the rest of the day lying around, playing his game, and drawing pictures until he got tired. He went to bed pretty early, nervous but excited to meet his assigned ninja trainer. He set an alarm on his locator to wake him up early, just in case, and took a sleeping pill.


	6. Chapter 6

The incessant beeping of his alarm nearly made Kanso throw the small device. It took nearly six tries to successfully shut the alarm off, the touch screen technology still wasn't fully developed in his home country, so the locator still had some display bugs. Kanso's face suddenly lit up like it was Christmas when he remembered what was awaiting him that day. He jumped out of bed, grabbing a change of day clothes from his closet, and ran for the bathroom. He brushed his teeth, switched clothes, brushed his thick, messy hair until it was flat and smooth. He held it behind him, thinking that a ponytail would make it more manageable for exercises, but suddenly felt troubled.

The shower he had taken the night before had gotten all the dirt, grease, and whatever else out of his hair, but now it looked darker than when dirty. The brown was barely visible and seemed to suck up all light that even got near it, almost making the usually untamed mass of locks look ink black. This wasn't really the issue, but Kanso recognized it as a warning of what would happen when he went out, though he knew it was inevitable anyway. He sighed and decided that tailing the hair back was his best bet. His bangs still weren't long enough to stay in the hair tie, so Kanso left them to frame his face-as long as they kept out of his way.

He ate a quick breakfast of (hopefully) whole wheat cereal and just stood in his living room. Any moment now a ninja was going to bust through the wall, or appear out of thin air, or drop from the ceiling and Kanso wanted to seem professional. So he prepared for the worst, the coolest, the-

 _Ding Dong_

The doorbell?

Kanso didn't even leave himself time to feel underwhelmed before racing to the door. He stopped, checked his clothes over in milliseconds and opened the door. 'At least it's cloudy today'. Standing there was yet another ninja, though this one seemed... different. He sort of looked like a dork. He spoke seriously from behind his dumb looking shades, pushing them up as he introduced himself.

"Greetings young master Amsel! You may call me Ebisu Sensei. I have been tasked by Lord Hokage to guide you on your journey to an elite level ninja! An honor previously reserved for The Honorable Grandson of Lord Hokage himself. Are you ready to begin your training?"

Kanso was a little blown away.

'The hell?'

Kanso cleared his throat and offered his hand to the adult. Noting Ebisu's similar choice in clothing to 'whats-his-name-ruined-my-shirt' but without the jacket, Kanso figured he would have a similar aura of douchebaggery. He tried to keep it professional.

"You can call me Kanso. I must admit, I was expecting a more interesting entrance from a high ranking ninja like you."

The man readjusted his shades again.

"A great ninja only uses his skills when necessary."

Kanso crossed his arms. The littlest of smirks growing on his lips as he asked a coy question as seriously as he could.

"But as a student, shouldn't I be allowed to study and learn the techniques of a ninja and practice what I've learned constantly to develop my skills?"

The man was silent for a moment. He looked at the boy with an expression that Kanso couldn't identify at first. Eventually he went along with the debate.

"Indeed. However, you should note that nearly all ninja techniques are, by their very nature, extremely secretive and not to be shared under any circumstance save for approved training."

Kanso nodded along, taking notes in his head. The man was clearly a dork by mannerism, if a little less douchy. Still, this wouldn't distract him from learning what he could.

"Okay, so how should we begin training Ebisu sen- senei? sensei."

Ebisu smiled to himself.

* * *

 **Thunk!**

The last of the growing pile of books and scrolls had been placed, as carefully as a book of it's size could be, on the library table. Kanso looked up at the looming, swaying stack in dismay.

"To fully appreciate the art of the ninja, one must first familiarize himself with the history of the shinobi. Read up, young pupil! As soon as you're finished with the basic scriptures, I can replace them with the more advanced scrolls at the back of the library."

Kanso looked down at the first book, it was at least shaped like the books from his homeland, but the cover was blank. He flipped to the first page and was assaulted by the same complex, self-similar writing system that had haunted him since he began foreign education. He sat there for nearly ten minutes, eyes covered by his loose bangs, before Ebisu said anything.

"Is the text too advanced for you? We could always try this one, or this first."

Ebisu was holding another book, barely a pamphlet, and a scroll in each hand. Kanso dug his nails into the wooden table, frustration mounting as he was unable to translate more than a few words per minute. This was going to take forever.

"...I can't..."

Ebisu leaned in over the library table.

"You're going to have to speak up, it's quite rude to mumble around one's teacher."

Kanso did his best to restrain himself. He took a breath to calm down before responding, his own patience wearing thin.

"...I can't understand these texts."

Ebisu didn't miss a beat,

"Very well, we'll have to take things slow, I see. We'll just-"

"No!"

Ebisu looked at Kanso with a distasteful expression, Kanso cleared his throat before continuing, his voice straining through his mixed bowl of emotions before he finally managed to get himself under control. He refused to go into hysterics on his first day. His teacher was silent and showed no readable emotion as Kanso spoke.

"I mean- I can't read. Your country's written language is too difficult for me. I just... can't do it."

"I see."

Kanso waited, he was expecting the coming onslaught of endless ridicule over his inability and surprise that he was expected to even train as a ninja. Maybe this was a dumb idea, he could always try something easy; He could start a community garden, or work in one of the local businesses. It would be the least he could do for a city taking in a single refugee so openly-

"I'm taking you to the academy."

Kanso looked up at his teacher in surprise. He figured he had washed out, but the look on Ebisu-sensei's face marked hope. They worked together to put all of the books back in order, Ebisu more than Kanso, and together they left the library. Kanso moved to cover his eyes from the strong sunlight, but was surprised to find that the couple of hours they had wasted were plenty to allow the thin veil of clouds covering the sky to thicken considerably. Heavy storm clouds lazily swirled in the air, threatening to drop their heavy load of water on the entire village. Kanso, in barely a whisper, exclaimed to himself. Ebisu smiled down at the young boy,

"wow."

"It's been unseasonably wet recently, but this isn't an uncommon storm, I expect it to pour before night so we should make this quick. Do you not get weather like this in your home?"

"Sometimes, but never so quickly."

They made the trip short, moving quickly. Once in the courtyard of the Ninja Academy, Kanso took a moment to catch his breath after keeping up with the adult's longer stride. Ebisu started in on a lecture immediately.

"The Konoha Ninja Academy has trained not only the best ninja in the village, but also many legendary individuals going back several generations. Every ninja in the world began as a simple civilian but, cultivated at an early age, the willful and dedicated were able to master the ninja arts and defend us in times of war and build in times of peace. With proper will and dedication, such as those grand masters of the past, you too may become great in the eyes of the world."

Kanso, who had been listening politely, suddenly noticed movement around the corner of the building.

"Who's that, Ebisu Sensei?"

The man pushed his round shades up before glancing over. He motioned to Kanso to follow him and they both rounded the building to see another teacher and at least two dozen children running and playing. Kanso guessed, by look, that most of them appeared to be between the ages of seven and ten. The other adult, a man with slightly tanner skin and a scar- but warm smile on his face turned at their approach and gave a greeting.

"Oh! Ebisu, I haven't seen you around in a while. How's Konohamaru? He isn't getting into trouble again is he?"

Ebisu engaged in the conversation like any adult, much to Kanso's annoyance, and soon the younger children were gathering around him, trying to get him to play with them.

"No, no, Iruka, the honorable grandson has managed to steer clear of those rabble-rousers for some time, but today is his rest day, so he's at home."

"Ah, I see. And his special training?"

"It's going well! I'm certain that if he continues to follow my instruction, he's sure to become Hokage some day."

A little girl pulled on Iruka's hand to get his attention, the man had a curious look on his face as he bent down to hear what the girl had to whisper in his ear like a secret.

"Oh, why don't we ask Mr. Ebisu-

He turned back to the other adult

"-Who's the charming young boy that you brought with you, Ebisu?"

The little girl blushed and nervously twirled her fingers in her dress. Ebisu chuckled and motioned towards his new pupil behind him,

"This is young lord Amsel, but he prefers to go by his first name, Kanso."

"Um, Ebisu..."

"What?"

Ebisu turned to look at his student, but he was gone. The man shouted in surprise and began to frantically look around for the boy. He was quickly drawn to the majority of younger children crowding around a tree in the yard, Kanso sitting in the lowest branch, high out of reach. Kanso called down, not quite in a playful tone, but he tried to hold off on his sarcasm for the sake of the children.

"I'm up here, I was outnumbered by rogue ninja, it'd be great if some leaf ninja were to save me now..."


	7. Chapter 7

It was a couple more minutes before Ebisu called Kanso down, telling the young children the two had to go, much to the displeasure of the youngsters. Then they were off, Kanso sharing a quick wave with Iruka as they passed each other. The party of two entered the school-like building and began to walk down the halls. Kanso marveled at the large windows, wooden floors, and sliding doors. He started talking his thoughts through.

"This building is constructed so simple, yet very efficiently."

"Sometimes the simpler means triumph over the more complicated, more powerful medium."

Kanso looked up to the adult, surprising him with experienced understanding showing on his face as he spoke.

"True, but a sword forged a hundred times is untouchable compared to one fresh out of it's casting when wielded by an opponent of similar skill."

"That is a strange metaphor, but I suppose it's true."

"It's strange as a metaphor, but it also is not... a metaphor that is. Sorry, I'm trying not to butcher your language so badly."

Ebisu laughed at his new pupil, but not unkindly.

"You're doing fine, I will inform you of any mistakes."

A short, awkward silence passed between them. Kanso didn't really know what else to say, he also didn't want to act too friendly or too aloof with his new master. He didn't even know how to feel about having a master; no matter how close it was to having a teacher, it was still different and the cultural divide was pressing on him. Soon they arrived at their destination.

The room was big and empty, almost like a gym. A scratched up wooden post sat on the far end. Ebisu walked Kanso in and suddenly stood at attention. The boy had no idea what was going on so he followed suit. The sensei walked in front of his pupil and faced him. His voice suddenly took on a strict and more leader like tone.

"Kanso, you are here to begin formal training. Considering your age, I believe it to be time that you develop your strength of body, however-"

He threw a critical glance at Kanso who tried his best not to say or do anything rash.

"-you must first prove that you have actively and appropriately trained your mind. What is three times three?"

" _Neu_ \- Nine!"

Kanso blinked. Had he really just been asked a multiplication question? He was supposed to be training in a military manner, that was what he had been led to believe.

"Nine divided by two?"

"Four point five!"

"Four point five times twelve minus six?"

Kanso rolled the fingers in his left hand into a fist.

"Forty eight!"

"If two ninja are running a distance of thirty kilometers to rendezvous, one headed east from the village the other west from the village and both are traveling at four kmp/h how long does it take for the two to meet up if one stops to defeat a bandit and the battle lasts half an hour?"

"Umm... Sensei?"

"You have one chance to answer this question Kanso, to become a ninja."

Kanso looked at his teacher in despair and betrayal. Ebisu continued to look hard.

"-But I think I misheard the question! The ninja won't be able to meet if they are both headed away from the village in opposite directions, it doesn't make any sense!"

Ebisu tossed something shiny into the air as he said,

"Catch the knife."

Kanso twitched but let the metal fall to the ground with a clatter. He understood now. He stared down his mentor who spoke first.

"You failed to catch it, were you afraid of getting cut?"

"No... That's not a knife. You're tricking me."

"And you count with your fingers."

Kanso looked down at the small piece of metal, it was a sharpening steel lying on the ground. He didn't enjoy this game Ebisu was playing with him. He could give the right answer and call his sensei out all he wanted but Ebisu held all the wild cards, he could pull Kanso whichever way he wanted and Kanso wasn't sure if he would defy his teacher over such trivial matters. The boy dug his nails into his palms, knowing that the elder could read his every movement. He was giving great effort to remain calm as he spoke.

"In my home country, I was taught everything I would need to know to move ahead in my life. I planned on studying and becoming a technician for my father and build vast systems and weapons capable of defending and comforting the people of my home. I know many forms of mathematics and sciences that you may consider advanced for my age but I'm not asking you to gauge my ability through these dumb questions. I KNOW can calculate the curvature of a bullet shot by a sniper sky diving in a glide suit with a tailwind, you ASK if I can do simple multiplication; we should be working together as a team to figure out if I can actually, physically toss a knife twenty meters to hit a target."

Ebisu raised an eyebrow at the short speech. He'd had rebellious students before, no question, but the lad before him was far more mature than his age. He may not be acting quite like an adult, but he seemed far more diplomatic and reasonable than other children. Truly the adult had no idea what Kanso was talking about, but it almost made him trustworthy enough...

"Very well then. If you can prove yourself a student through practice then I will begin your true training."

He stepped aside, leaving a straight line of sight between Kanso and the log standing across the room. Ebisu pulled out a handful of knives from his waist pouch, giving a couple to Kanso.

"You seemed adamant enough and singled this particular test out so now you will have to pass it. Kanso, have you ever thrown a kunai before?"

Several hours had passed, Kanso had learned proper throwing techniques for both kunai knives and shuriken, and that he was terrible at both. Even so, Ebisu didn't give him nearly as hard of a time as before and was careful, if gradual, in Kanso's training. No special techniques were learned or even spoken of that day, just a few hours of throwing until Kanso's arms grew tired and sluggish.

When it grew apparent that the strain was affecting the student's aim, Ebisu called for a break, noticing that Kanso would not. Kanso moved to pick up the knives,

"We probably shouldn't leave these scattered everywhere, right Ebisu Sensei?"

The adult pushed his shades up, he could have grabbed them himself in just a second, but if Kanso wanted to clean up his own messes well, it was a pleasant change from Ebisu's usual students. Still, he tossed a sarcastic answer at the boy, noting his affinity for it that morning.

"True, but I doubt anyone will fall on them here, it'd be a disgraceful way to be injured on the road to becoming a ninja."

Kanso huffed through his nose, stifling a smile. He was quick to follow up with a professional comment as he picked up the last few shuriken from the floor.

"Isn't it bad on the knives, though?"

Ebisu nodded,

"Indeed it would not be proper care for a military tool, though realistically it would take a lot more than a little training and improper storage to really damage the blades. You seem to be taking a very responsible stance on becoming a ninja."

"I- uh, thank you sensei!"

"Congratulations my young pupil, you have passed your first mentality test!"

Kanso was elated to hear these words, not denying it in the least when he thanked Ebisu repeatedly, then he thought about the comment more critically and the first ninja he'd met the other day. The much more intense training regime, for an old man nonetheless.

"Thank you so much! I-I mean thank you, Sensei. But what do you mean mentality test?"

A slight distrust started to creep back into Kanso's thoughts. If this was a normal relationship between teacher and student in this land, he almost felt sorry for all the kids his age in a land that wasn't even his. He also started to wonder if he'd be meeting fellow students in the near future.

"While I was seriously training you in every ability's aspects that I questioned of a foreigner I was also studying your reactions to seemingly random or extreme occurrences as well as those that were to be considered normal and everyday in the village. I'll begin allocating resources for a more formal lesson in language and writing later, but do not let that distract you from your ninja training. You also managed to hold your own against a band of ninja children this morning, which was a rather surprising achievement in and of itself."

The boy felt stung, he knew he'd be watched extensively in such a foreign and militaristic country, he wouldn't blame his own government for following similar steps, but he thought it'd be a little more subtle and from a distance. A seizing fear suddenly made him want to get home quickly to see if they'd stolen any of his secret technology, but he quickly dismissed it. That house was a bomb shelter and for the first time, he was grateful. No ninja could easily break in, and he doubted that the local government would be happy to begin a war against an advanced military with stolen entertainment technology. Kanso's still felt betrayed, though, and Ebisu could read it in the wetness in his eyes.

"Come, child. Your first training day was an overwhelming success, thanks to my teachings. Even so, you managed to grasp the finer points of throwing techniques faster than anyone else I've ever known, we simply must work on your accuracy a little. Now, perhaps we may take a walk, has anyone given you a chance to explore the village yet? We may still have time before the weather becomes disagreeable."


	8. Chapter 8

Kanso was walking down the road. He had thanked his master for the lesson but turned down his escort. Part of the boy wanted to know if Ebisu would actually leave or if he had been ordered to stick with Kanso throughout his stay while another part of him was just upset. Surprisingly though, the adult gave a quick farewell after being assured that Kanso could find his own way home and left him at the Ninja Academy entrance. Kanso marveled at the speed of departure, watching his teacher jump over several short buildings a couple at a time in a flash before disappearing from sight totally. Now he was as alone as he could expect to be in a land of ninja.

The darkened clouds made it near impossible to tell the time, but Kanso was certain it had only just passed noon. He would probably just go home since he didn't know of any landmarks that he'd like to see and had no money on him. He was also worried that he'd get rained on, but really that was an afterthought since the clouds had hung for so many hours but not actually done anything. His stomach rumbled; He decided it was time to get home. He walked down the road until he found an empty alley, moving through it like it was nobody's business. When he was sure that no one could see him, he pulled out his locator. He was only a few streets away from the dot that marked his home, it wouldn't be too difficult to find once he hit the main road. He stowed his tech as he left his momentary hiding place and immediately set off towards the larger street which was visible from several blocks down.

He made it and instantly regretted his lack of foresight in carrying cash that day. The shops were open enough to protect their merchandise from the elements but several display items could still draw in the curious. Kanso was the definition of the curious. He passed by a pottery shop with beautifully hand-crafted pieces, then a flower shop that held an arrangement of gardening supplies- Kanso figured if being a ninja didn't work out he'd need some other hobby to keep him busy-, then a bookstore covered in posters of amazing adventure novels and love stories. There wasn't anything that Kanso didn't want to explore, but then he hit the food district.

The sights, sounds, and scents enveloped the boy. His stomach ravaged but he barely felt it. There were so many stalls and restaurants with so many different types of foods. Seafood seemed to be prevalent, but there were also bakeries and tea shops as well. Kanso decided that taking one day off from his monthly budgeting wouldn't sink him, since there was so much cash being sent to him from the Hokage, which was pretty similar to a mayor as far as Kanso could tell. He was quick to rush through the crowd as carefully as he could so as to not run in to anyone, losing no time on his trip home to grab some funds for a celebration of his first training day. Every step he knew, however, what a big mistake this was going to be, but being a twelve year old, he pushed the thought from his normally responsible mind.

He cleaned himself up when he got home. He hadn't gotten too sweaty during his weapon training but he made sure to change into a fresh shirt, a simple black tee, and some black cargo pants to carry the knickknacks he was apt to purchase that day. He found some spray deodorants in his bathroom and liberally applied his choice of lavender as he fixed his ponytail in the mirror. He checked to ensure he had his locator in his pocket and paired it with a decent amount of money. Kanso was still careful about how much he took with him, so he wouldn't spend way too much, just a little too much.

He left his house quickly after, going right back to the restaurant and food marketing area, starting to memorize the look of the shops that marked the intersection of his street to the main road. Moving up the street, Kanso was sizing up each business, trying to decide which he would try first. There was a curry shop that caught his eye, it smelled fantastically of spices and hot dishes. Kanso, being a fan of heat, nearly chose this shop hands down, that was until he heard a shout of celebration not too far away.

"ALLLL RIGHT! BARBECUE!"

Kanso did a double take- barbecue? In this country? It wasn't an impossibility, just a curiosity, so Kanso investigated. He moved through the crowd to find a restaurant with an unmistakable "BBQ" sign and had just caught a glimpse of a large kid, about Kanso's height but maybe twice his weight moving through the entrance. He was loud enough to identify as the celebrator. Kanso wondered if he should go back to the tantalizingly delicious smelling curry shop or if the hype about this barbecue place was sufficient enough to change his mind. His stomach rumbled loudly, grabbing the attention of a couple of ladies standing near him in the crowd. They laughed to each other while looking at the boy, making Kanso feel... embarrassed. He quickly walked into to barbecue restaurant while trying to hold down a blush, finding it nicely half-full. Plenty of space, but not a barren business.

Kanso sat a few booths away from the chubby kid, having spotted him sitting with another boy, but his interest was quickly captured by the table itself. It had a grill of hot coals set right in, Kanso looked around to see other customers actively cooking their meals while chatting to each other over the flames. The restaurant servers passed out orders of raw meat. This was incredibly interesting to Kanso, he didn't think any restaurants were like this in his homeland, it was something he'd write to his father about. His thoughts were interrupted when an intimidatingly large man carrying platter of bowls full of thin cut pork approached. The man's demeanor wasn't nearly as serious as his appearance, though.

"You're a new face, would you like a menu or perhaps our house special today?"

Kanso was going to ask for a menu, but decided his stomach couldn't wait that long when he saw the other boy from earlier being served a wide platter of assorted meats and cuts. He began sharing it with his friend, a broody type by the look of him.

"I'll just have what their having."

Kanso said, pointing down the booths. The man turned and smiled heartily. He called out in a laughing voice that nearly made Kanso jump.

"Choji, I swear you bring in more business than my advertisements! You should just bring all your little friends in together so I can make enough to retire already!"

The chubby kid stood up in his booth, yelling through a mouthful of beef he was quick to swallow.

"vhe day uo re'ire *gulp* will be the day I have no more reason to live!"

The big man laughed again,

"Well you could at least invite all of your friends to sit with ya', since you're all ordering the same anyway! It's easier on the grill cleaners."

The other boy turned in his seat. Kanso changed his view of him quickly, he wasn't so broody, he just seemed tired. His eyes looked almost dead and slightly hostile. Then the thinner boy spoke,

"We don't know the kid, Choji's just loud as fu-"

"NO WAY! I've already given a cut to Shikimaru, I'm not sharing with him too!"

The man realized his mistake,

"Alright kids, calm down. He's just a new customer, is all."

He turned back to Kanso,

"Sorry 'bout that kid. How's about a free order for the mix up?"

The chubby kid, Choji, changed his tune to that,

"W-wait, he can sit with us if he shares his order too!"

Kanso hadn't had a chance to say anything yet but sighed and told the man he'd be fine with that, since he probably wouldn't be able to eat a full order anyway. Besides, meeting some of the locals was probably a good idea considering he was probably stuck in a foreign country for at least a couple of years. He slid out of the booth and walked over to the other boys. Choji was wide enough to take up over half of his side alone and the other, Shikimaru, Kanso guessed, was already seated further in. Kanso sat with the skinnier boy. The man dropped a fresh platter of meat next to the already half empty one near Choji. The man spoke before leaving,

"Better grab some while you can kid, Choji's my best customer."

Shikimaru passed a set of chopsticks from a serving cup on his side of the table.

"Here, you'll need these. Ever eaten at a barbecue before?"

Kanso nodded as he spoke,

"Well yes, but not quite like this."

He managed to get the sticks to sit properly between his fingers and grabbed a few slices, dropping them quickly onto the sizzling grill as he'd seen the other customers do. Gosh it smelled good. Kanso took a moment of his time to appreciate the fact that he wasn't the only boy in town to wear a pony tail, seeing the guy next to him out of the corner of his eyes had one too. He poked the meat around the fire for a few minutes, waiting for them to finish cooking while the awkward silence between the three boys grew. Even Choji's insane pace of eating began to lull. Shikimaru was the first to speak again.

"So, where'r you from then?"

Kanso wasn't too surprised by the question, even if it was a bit forward, he figured he was a little obvious.

"Far, far away from here. Like, across the ocean far. I've been traveling for a while trying to get to this village."

"What'd you go through all that trouble for? This place isn't really all that special if you think about it, ...but I guess it's better than the sand or waves."


End file.
